If you are willing to break with old garden habits, it’s easy to extend the garden season into the fall and winter months. With the growing popularity of pollinator gardening, we know that now is not the time to cut everything back. Many plants are still adorned with seeds vital to the birds. The standing plants also provide habitat for animals. And when we incorporate grasses and plants with interesting shapes and forms beyond their flowers, we have a garden that easily holds our interest into the cooler months of the year. 

ABOVE: The grasses were left standing into winter, making this spectacular scene possible. A light frost or ice on grasses in the gardens is something you don’t want to miss!

There is one more thing we can do that is overlooked when we are plant focused, and that is the use of landscape lighting. Landscape lighting can be tucked into the smallest of garden spaces. I like to see it used to highlight trees, especially our understory trees that have interesting architectural forms. It’s also a good way to accentuate curves in the walks and paths, steps and seating areas in the yard.  

Landscaping lighting extends the garden season by drawing our attention to interesting notes in the garden. Instead of looking out the windows in the evening and seeing nothing but black, with lighting, we can view our gardens from within our home. After all the work we put forth in the spring and the summer, it’s nice to know we can enjoy the garden in the evening hours of fall and winter with the simple addition of lighting.